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Summary

Learn more about how King County's natural resources are managed by reading the Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) 2013 annual report, "Environmental Stewardship in King County."

Story

Learn more about how King County’s natural resources are managed by reading the Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) 2013 annual report, "Environmental Stewardship in King County."

The report outlines key highlights of DNRP's accomplishments for 2013. The department is comprised of four divisions - Parks and Recreation, Solid Waste, Wastewater Treatment and Water and Land Resources.

Highlights for the year include:

• A King County-City of Seattle partnership to protect up to 25,000 acres of the county’s farms and forests by transferring rural development rights into Seattle’s downtown and South Lake Union for increased urban density. Limiting rural sprawl and maintaining working forests helps keep local sources of climate change in check.

• Completing a multi-year modernization project at the Bow Lake Recycling and Transfer Station in Tukwila – the Solid Waste Division’s busiest facility. The upgrades give customers more recycling opportunities than ever, while the all-new solid waste handling facility is highly efficient.

• Celebrating the successful conclusion to a nearly decade-long effort to acquire and preserve the Eastside Rail Corridor for public use. King County now owns 15.6 miles of the corridor, plus an easement over an additional 3.6 miles.

The mission of the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks is to provide regional parks and trails, protect the region’s water, air, land, natural habitats and historic properties, and reduce, safely dispose of and create resources from wastewater and solid waste.